The Usual Suspect
by Nightzchild
Summary: When Sarah finds out that something precious has been stolen from her she immediately suspects the Goblin King. This time however, Jareth is innocent. Sarah must therefore learn to trust her enemy if she is ever to regain what is hers. ON HOLD.
1. Chapter 1

**The Usual Suspect **

_When Sarah finds out that something precious has been stolen from her she immediately suspects the Goblin King. This time however, Jareth is innocent. Sarah must therefore learn to trust her enemy if she is ever to regain what is hers._

**Chapter One **

Sarah's body twitched involuntarily, jerking her from her half hearted slumber. She blinked blearily, waiting for the room to settle itself back into focus as her exhausted mind endeavoured to catch up with itself. It was darker than it should have been she decided after a few moments. Outside a blanket of fierce grey clouds smothered the sky and Sarah wondered absently where the sunny afternoon had gone.

She tried to leaver herself up off of the sofa, distantly acknowledging a crick in her neck, when a muffled whimper of discontent caused her to glance down. For a split second she simply stared, her brain apparently having failed to hook up all the proper lines of connection yet. Then she smiled softly, raising a hand and brushing it tenderly over a head of tarnish blonde hair. The child stirred, shifting itself in her lap before settling down once more. Hardly daring to move but knowing that she couldn't spend another night out of bed she cautiously gathered the small bundle into her arms and rose to her feet.

Silently she left the living/dining area, walking past the closed door of a currently unoccupied room before reaching her own. The apartment wasn't very big but it suited her needs well enough. At least for the moment. The same might not be true given time but there was use worrying about it, not yet. She pushed the door open with her foot, wincing inwardly at the squeaky hinges. She really should fix that. Unsurprisingly her room also wasn't particularly large. With the addition of the cot she had been forced to exchange her old double bed for a single and even then she still had to edge around the wall to reach her wardrobe.

Careful not to jostle her passenger she flicked the light swift as she worked her way over to the cot, making an awkward one handed attempt to pull back the covers before then setting the child down. The tiny body fidgeted, a pair of gray/green eyes drooping open to peer up at her in a rather dazed fashion; the young mother held her breath. Seconds later the shiny orbs glazed over, the pink lids falling back into place. Thankfully Sarah exhaled and smiled once more.

For a few minutes she remained standing there, hovering over the bars of the cot and gazing down at the sleeping infant. She filled with such a warm, almost fuzzy, feeling of contentment at that moment that she could have happily stayed there forever. There was only one thing missing.

With that thought a black shadow streaked across mind. Unwittingly acknowledging its presence Sarah frowned slightly, the expression marring her peaceful moment. She banished it just as quickly as it had appeared but the mood was irreparably spoiled.

Heaving a somewhat haggard sigh Sarah glanced over at the clock on the miniature table next to her bed. Half past eight. It was still early but she was tired. She had got so little sleep the night before that she'd nearly ended up sprawled out in the living room again. Suspecting she would be better off trying to snatch some sleep while she had the chance Sarah shuffled over to her bed and pulled her pyjamas out from under the pillow. While she changed the persistent flashing of the light of her answer machine caught her eye. Automatically she reached out to press the playback button, nearly tripping over her trousers, before she paused, eyes darting over to the cot and its snoozing occupant. Karen had been the one to suggest she put a second phone in her bedroom, however, given the circumstances it quite often caused more trouble than it prevented.

Tip toeing out of the room Sarah slipped down the darkening hall, coming to a stop next to the phone mounted on the wall next to the front door. Propping herself up on a side table she pressed the button, letting her head fall back and her eyes close as she listened.

_You have TWO new messages. _The machine informed her. _First message received TODAY at 16:58._

_BEEP..._

"_Hey Sarah it's Carol. How are you? Hope mum and baby are doing well. I'm just calling to ask if you know where the Nicholls file is. Beth said you had it last and Michael is asking for it. Apparently there's been some sort of mix up. I won't bore you with the details. Can't wait for you to come back to work hun. Everything is such a mess without you. What? – "_

There was a pause as the speaker seemed to move away from the phone.

"_Oh Michael says hi. Anyway got to go. Ring me when you can. Bye."_

_BEEP..._

_End of first message._

Sarah grinned lazily. She hadn't seen Carol and the gang from work since they came round to visit her after she had been let out from the hospital, even Michael had tagged along, looking distinctly uncomfortable amongst the mass of cooing women. Thinking about them Sarah suddenly realised she missed them. She couldn't honestly say that she was looking forward to working again but she missed her friends.

Absently wracking her brain as to where she had stowed the Nicholls file Sarah received a nasty shock as the second message started to play

..._received TODAY at 18:04_

_BEEP..._

"_Sarah," _came a distinctly unwelcome voice. _"It's me. Look, I know you're angry but we really need to talk -"_

Sarah slammed her hand down on the stop button and immediately deleted the message, glaring furiously at the machine as if it was to blame. She stayed like that for almost a minute, her muscles tense and her breathing sharp, dark thought dancing across her mind once more. How _dare _he!

Her anger continued to spiral higher until she belatedly realised that her nails had almost broken the skin of her palm. Calming, Sarah took a purposely deep breath and forced herself to relax. She dropped her shoulders and raised an almost steady hand to sweep back her dark hair. Now wasn't the time for this. She was tired. She needed sleep.

With this as the only plan of action she trudged back to her room. Leaving the door ever so slightly ajar out of habit more than anything else Sarah made a quick inspection of the cot and it's inhabitant before switching off the light and collapsing onto her bed.

She was asleep within minutes.

That night Sarah slept soundly, her dreams undisturbed. She didn't wake once. Not even when it started to rain softly and thunder rumbled in the distance.

**

Sarah was pulled from her peace and quiet the next morning by a persistent and unpleasant wail. Instinct made her shoot out of bed and carried her halfway across the room before she realised that the noise was being made by her alarm. Frowning she turned towards it, pressing the button down, and wondering what it was she was doing up at this hour. It took her a moment to click.

Work.

Of course. She was up this early so make sure she got to work on time. Giving a disgruntled sigh she traipsed across to her wardrobe, not noticing how she walked unnecessarily close to the wall. Opening the door she sorted through her meagre selection of suits before picking a plain black trouser and jacket set. As she dragged the clothes on she couldn't quite dismiss how odd the act itself felt. The clothes too felt strangely stiff and uncomfortable, just like when she had first started having to wear them to work.

Giving herself a quick shake Sarah studied herself in the mirror. Unsurprisingly she looked quite tired. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately. She didn't know why. Promising herself she'd have an early night Sarah then went about her morning routine, feeling almost as if she were having to relearn it all over again. Odd. She'd felt that way when she'd gone back to work after she'd had Katy...

Finally she was ready, finding her bag on the hook by the front door she stepped out, reminding herself to call her daughter when she got home.

The door closed with a slight click and the apartment fell silent.

**Author's Note:**

**What's this? A new story? But I haven't finished the last one yet. O dear. This could get ugly. **

**Ah well...Inspiration (annoying creature that she is) has stuck again and will not be ignored. This is an idea I've had floating around for a while. Please let me know what you think. A yay or nay will suffice although feel free to elaborate. **

**Nightzchild**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the **_**Labyrinth **_**characters and/or matching accessories...They don't come in my size.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Usual Suspect **

**Chapter Two**

Sarah got home a little before six o'clock. She practically stumbled through the door, kicking off her high heels even before the portal had swung shut behind her. Her feet were killing her. She dropped her bag with a complete disregard for its contents and immediately went into the kitchen and flicked on the kettle. Coffee. She needed coffee.

As the water began to boilSarah raised her hands and gently began to massage her temples. She had such a headache. Everything today had just seemed so loud and strange. Everything felt vaguely 'off'and try as she might she couldn't make it feel right. Carol had suggested that maybe she was coming down with something and Sarah had to agree that it might be a possibility. There had been a bug going around Katy's school.

_Katy._

Instantly standing to attention Sarah strode out into the hallway, grabbed the phone and then walked back into the kitchen, punching in a familiar number. As the ringing started she pulled a mug off of the draining board and reached for the jar of coffee granules.

The receiver clicked on the fifth ring and a woman's voice answered.

"William's residence. Who's calling please?"

Sarah smiled slightly. "Hey Karen, it's me."

"Sarah," her stepmother beamed. "I was wondering when you'd call. How are things? Have you managed to sort out this mess with you-know-who yet?"

A scowl crept onto the young woman's features as she spooned the coffee into her cup and added water. "No not yet. I'm speaking with my lawyer tomorrow."

"Oh honey," Karen said, murmuring her sympathy. "Have you any idea how long this is going to take?"

"Not a clue," Sarah admitted, wincing as the pain between her brows twinged, apparently wishing to reassert itself at the forefront of her thoughts.

"Well, do you want us to hold onto Katy until it's all cleared up? It's not a problem. We love having her here and you know how much Toby dotes on her."

The conjured image of her twelve year old, sunny haired brother playing with her five year old daughter brought a warm smile to Sarah's lips. She missed Katy but found that she couldn't begrudge her family this time spent with her. Focusing back on the situation at hand however, wiped the smile away and brought on a heavy sigh.

"I'm not sure yet," she replied honestly. "If this thing gets dragged out then I don't think I'll be able to spend that long without seeing her."

"You could always come and stay here you know?" Karen hinted in a somewhat unsubtle tone. It was not the first time she had done so either.

"I can't," Sarah protested, wishing, also not for the first time, that it was that simple. "I have to stay here. I've got work and...and –." She paused for a moment, frowning as whatever she had been about to say slipped from the end of her tongue. "And stuff," she finished lamely. "Besides, there isn't enough room."

"We could make room," the older woman insisted. "For both you and - ," she cut off.

"Karen?"

Sarah could have sworn she heard her stepmother jump, as if her mind had trailed off but didn't get the chance to mention it because when Karen next spoke she said: "Sarah, there's someone here who wants to speak to you."

All her other thoughts vanished without a trace as a wide grin broke out over face. "Put her on." There was a pause in which Sarah waited with half baited breath, not even realising that she was still stirring her untouched mug of coffee. There was a shuffling noise at the other end of the line as the phone was passed over.

"Mommy?"

Sarah released a blissful sigh, relaxing back against the kitchen counter. "Hey honey. How are you?"

The next half an hour was spent in idle chit chat with her daughter. Truly happy for the first time that day Sarah strolled into the living room and plonked herself down on the sofa. Her coffee completely forgotten. Her headache began to recede as they talked about Uncle Toby and Granny and Grandpa Williams. Katy asked her about work, even thought she didn't really understand what it was her mother did, and Sarah asked about school. Katy's school was situated almost exactly halfway between the Williams household and Sarah's apartment. When the time had come for her to move out of her childhood home she had found that she couldn't bring herself to go too far and in the end it had worked out well for both parties.

Katy was just in the middle of explaining some sort of game that she and Toby had invented when Sarah glanced at the clock.

"Look at the time," she exclaimed surprised. "Young lady have you had your dinner yet?"

"No. Granny says it'll be ready in a minute."

"Ok well you had better go and wash up then. Make sure your hands are sparkling clean otherwise Granny won't let you have any dessert."

The little girl giggled. "Granny always lets me have dessert."

"I bet she does," Sarah said, knowing that Karen spoilt the girl rotten. She had never managed to work out whether the reason for this was because her stepmother was trying to make up for all that she hadn't been able to give Sarah when she was that age, or whether it was just the fact that Katy was her one and only grandchild. Her father was exactly the same and Toby loved having a niece. It made him feel important.

There was the sound of a muffled voice in the background followed by an impatient bark and Sarah knew her time was up.

"I've got to go now," Katy confirmed. "Dinner's ready."

"Ok sweetheart. Say hello to Perceval for me and I'll talk to you again soon."

"Ok." There was pause. "Mommy, when can I come home?"

Sarah drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew this had been coming. She didn't want to lie but didn't see that she had much of choice.

"Soon Katy, soon. I promise."

"Ok. Bye Mommy."

"Bye."

The line went dead.

For a long while Sarah just sat there, staring at the phone in her hand. She knew she should get up, knew that she should try to make herself something to eat. And yet...

She just didn't have the energy. With the musical sound of her daughter's voice no longer ringing in her ears the darkness was starting to encroach upon her thoughts again. She fought to keep it at bay but somehow it managed to slip past her barriers and she forced to acknowledge truth.

She might lose her -

_No. No_, her mind screamed. _It won't happen_. _I won't let it happen. _No one was going to ever take her child away from her. _No one._ Try what they may, she would never give up. Only one had ever tried to take something as precious from her before. Never again she had promised herself. _Never. _

It was only the suppressed memory from her past that forced Sarah out of her downward spiral. Her head snapped upright and she launched herself out of the chair, determined to do anything to keep herself occupied.

Disposing of the coffee that had long since gone cold, Sarah brewed herself another batch and then started dinner. It was a simple pasta based meal but did its job of filling the hole in her stomach. She then did her washing up, having obtained a rather large amount of it recently, and then decided to take a bath.

The hot water relaxed her aching muscles and Sarah questioned again why she had been so affected at work that day. She didn't feel like she was coming down with anything. Not able to produce any sort of satisfactory answer Sarah dedicated herself to task of cleaning every inch of her skin. She washed her long hair through twice before applying the smoothing conditioner and took extra time to shave her slightly less than smooth legs.

Feeling thoroughly clean and relaxed, her mind almost numb, Sarah padded into her bedroom. The second she crossed the threshold her breath hitched slightly, causing her to cough. The air felt strangely musty and even after she opened the window the sensation didn't go away. Thinking perhaps she should perhaps do some dusting at the first available opportunity Sarah clambered into bed, suddenly too exhausted to worry about drying her hair.

As she drifted into sleep her mind felt muddled and she had the strangest feeling that she had forgotten something. Something important.

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you all appreciated the irony of Sarah's little mental rant. **

'No one was ever going to take her child away from her.'

**The problem with this statement being that it's already happened. She just hasn't realised it yet. How long do you think it's going to take her? Now accepting all bets.**

**So...thumbs up or thumbs down? You tell me.**

**Nightzchild**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the **_**Labyrinth **_**characters and/or matching accessories...They don't come in my size.**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Usual Suspect **

**Chapter Three**

Sarah's mental situation did not improve over the next couple of days. No matter where she was or what she was doing there was always _something _lurking at the back of her mind. Something was wrong, she was sure of it. She wasn't even the only one who seemed to notice.

The day after she spoke to Katy, Sarah bumped into Michael at work. She hadn't seen him the day before. Upon noticing her, his brow had creased and he said that he hadn't expected to see in today. When she asked him why he had automatically opened his mouth to answer and then shut it again with a snap. He had stood there for an entire minute trying to work out why he had reacted the way did. Eventually he had been forced to admit defeat and shrugged, saying that he didn't know why.

And Michael wasn't the only one. Several people around the office seemed surprised on finding Sarah sitting behind her desk. Yet none of them understood the reasoning behind this very definite feeling. Most just brushed it off as Michael had but Sarah found herself unable to do so. Every time she entered the office she had the distinct feeling that she shouldn't be there. She always felt on edge and on more than one occasion she found herself half way out of the building and on her way home without even having realised that she had left her seat.

The headaches were getting worse as well. They started almost as soon as she left the apartment in the morning and only subsided when she got home again. Even then they still never disappeared completely. Sarah occasionally considered the possibility of her unknowingly having developed some sort of anxiety disorder, making her afraid to leave the safety of what was familiar to her. This however didn't seem likely because even when at home Sarah felt a growing sense of unease.

She had thrown open all of the windows and still the air felt hot and oppressive. Her skin inched constantly and she now couldn't step into her bedroom without feeling physically ill. Yes, there was definitely something wrong.

But what was it? She honestly didn't know.

As soon as she arrived home that day she stripped off her shoes and jacket, throwing them on the floor. She released the top few buttons of her crisp shirt and threw herself in a despairing heap on the sofa. She felt like she was almost on the edge of tears. What was wrong with her?

Her thoughts chased themselves in circles, and she refused to rest until she understood what was going on. Eventually however her ragged breathing evened out and her limbs went limp; visions of an endless maze and a baby's cry plaguing her dreams.

**

Sarah awoke with a start, her heart beating it time with her gasping breaths. Her mind was jumbled and her ears were straining even though there was no sound. All was quiet.

No, that was wasn't right. It shouldn't be quiet.

Leaping to her feet Sarah dashed towards her bedroom, flinging the door open and stumbling inside, not even bothering with the light and ignoring the sick feeling that went straight to her stomach. Going over to the bed she seized the covers and ripped them off, discarding them without a second thought when they did not reveal what it was she sought. She was looking for something. Something she had lost. She didn't know what it was but she knew it had to be here...somewhere.

Frantically scanning the vanity table that sat in the corner she swept aside all of the cutter, not even hearing the various bottles smash as they were catapulted into the wall. Rounding on the side cabinet she ripped each of the draws from their holdings, turning them upside down and throwing them aside before then manically pawing her way through the upturned contents. It was here. She _knew _it was here.

Sarah was well beyond rationale thought. She was close to the point where she would actually be overturning the furniture in her desperate search when something white caught her eye. It was poking out from behind her side table. Scrambling across the room over the piles of her forgotten possessions Sarah pushed the table to one side and bent down. With a shaking hand she reached out and picked up a stiff piece of folded paper. It was greetings card. Turning it over she vaguely recognised the fluffy bear motif on the front. She had got one very similar to this when Katy was born; only that bear had been pink. This one was blue and the fine silver inscription above it read:

_Congratulations! It's a boy._

Sarah knew at once who the card was from. Her parents; Toby had signed it as well of course. Even Katy had because she had been staying with them when – when...

Her mind went blank.

For a second she thought she was going to pass out. Then the pain struck. Clutching her head in her hands Sarah let out a wail as half formed images assaulted her mind. Her legs gave out and she fell awkwardly on the floor. Desperately she tried to make sense of what she was seeing but it was so hard. She couldn't focus properly; almost like she'd been drugged.

A peach, round and succulent, flashed in front of her eyes and in that moment her body went absolutely still. Then she saw a face, staring up at her from within the folds of a blanket. Katy's blanket, she remembered. But the face she saw wasn't Katy's. The eyes were same but the hair was wrong. Katy was dark haired, just like her mother. This child had much lighter hair, not quite like Toby's, but he had reminded her of her brother so much. He? _He. _

_Oh my God._

Sarah shot to feet, the card still clutched in a vice like grip as she threw herself out of the bedroom. The pain lessened almost instantly but Sarah didn't even notice. The face floating in her mind was twisting this way and that, trying to slip away. She was going to forget him again. He was trying to make her forget...Just as he did before.

In a split second of absolute clarity Sarah marched over to the ornamental fireplace at the far end of the living room and snatched up her weapon of choice. She then spun around and inhaled deeply. Her body was quivering and her head was pounding but she barely noticed. As she opened her mouth all that she knew, all that she felt, was the vengeful screaming of her heart.

**

Far across the distance between their worlds he felt her call. It whispered along his senses and made him straighten in his throne. _Curious. _It took him a moment to recognise the signature of the voice but when he did his sculpted eyebrows arched ever higher. Hers was a voice he had never expected to hear again. He had hoped she would have learnt her lesson the first time round. Maybe not completely but it seemed she had leant something.

She was not making a wish this time. She was summoning him. Directly.

_Even more curious. _The Goblin King could not remember the last time he had been called upon in such a manner. The insolence of such an act was intolerable. Some things certainly hadn't changed. Had he been given the choice he might have opted to ignore her call; however, the magic was already closing in around him so the least he could do was go willingly. Aside from this she had also piqued his interest. What could possibly cause Sarah Williams to ever call upon him again?

The goblins surveyed him closely as he rose to his feet but said nothing. They could feel the magic too as it gathered in the air, beating in time with the ancient heart of the Labyrinth. They didn't know what it meant but it wasn't affecting them so when their King departed in a hail of glitter they had no reason to follow.

**

When the Goblin King materialised in the mortal world he found it to be dark, the moon outside casting the only available light through the open windows. As his eyes adjusted he felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. She was behind him, no further than a few feet unless he was very much mistaken. She made no deliberate sound and did not move yet he could hear her harsh breathing resonating in the enclosed space. A subtle smirk settled itself on his features as he slowly turned around.

"Well," he purred darkly, "to what do I owe this-." His words were abruptly interrupted by the cool press of iron against the base of his throat. "- pleasure?"

The last word came out as barely more than a whisper.

Sarah was standing before him, brandishing a fire poker in one trembling hand and staring at him with such a vicious fury that even the mighty Goblin King found himself taking an instinctive step back. She followed him. Then she stepped again, pursuing him across the room, forcing him to retreat until his back hit the wall.

Sensing the strain that was cascading off of her, closely followed by a heady sense of confusion, Jareth very deliberately raised his hands in a universally recognised gesture of surrender. Biding his time.

Sarah seemed to notice this but said nothing. There was silence for what seemed like an eternity. The only sound was their combined breath, hers decidedly more unsteady than his. Neither of them moved; their eyes locked.

"Sarah," he ventured at last, keeping his tone purposefully neutral.

Her reaction was immediate. The poker was pushed further into his neck, the exposed skin beginning to sting spitefully. Then she spoke, her voice harsh and almost feral in its intensity.

"Where. Is. My. Son?"

**Author's Note:**

**Good Lord that was hellish; did not enjoy writing that one. Bit of a cliff hanger there but have no fear, the next one is on its way. Have patience.**

**I would appreciate it if you let me know what you think. Both positive and (constructive) negative comments welcome. **

**Nightzchild**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the **_**Labyrinth **_**characters and/or matching accessories...They don't come in my size.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Usual Suspect **

**Chapter Four**

The moment stretched dangerously, threatening to tear when Sarah took a step closer, coming within a few inches of the Goblin King's face. Had she been thinking of her own well being he doubted she would ever dared come so near. Her thoughts, however, seemed to be elsewhere.

"Where is my son?" she growled again, eyes flashing.

A brief sense of confusion swept through Jareth's mind, not in any way aided by the fact that Sarah was giving off so many mixed signals it was hard to concentrate. A human's brain waves weren't nearly this complex. Her emotions were running rampant, tearing through her quivering frame with an intensity she should not have been able to withstand.

Her body jerked suddenly, twitching violently as if she were in pain. This movement carried down the arm that still held the fire poker against his skin. Jareth hissed through gritted teeth, inhaling deeply and blanching as the smell of charred flesh reached his nostrils. _Enough_.

In a move so quick Sarah was barely able to register it let alone prevent it Jareth seized the poker in one gloved hand and wrenched it away from his neck. He then seized Sarah by the throat, spinning her around until their positions had been reversed and she was now the one pressed up against the wall. She let out a shriek but Jareth instantly covered her mouth with his other hand, moving in close and pinning her arms between their bodies.

"Foolish girl," he spat. "Did you suppose you were a match for me, arming yourself with iron?"

Unable to say anything Sarah continued to struggle against his hold, kicking and flailing wildly, her eyes slipping in and out of focus. _Her eyes. _Frowning Jareth tightened his hold along her jaw, forcing her head up. Something wasn't right.

"Look at me," he commanded harshly. "Look at me."

Sarah's eyes rolled in every direction except his, trying to avoid his gaze. _Still as wilful as ever, _Jareth thought furiously, trying to catch her gaze while cursing the fact that she alone had the power to deny his command. _Why did it have to be her? Anyone but her._

"Sarah!" he barked, feeling his temper mount as she had the belated idea of closing her lids against his prying search. "Look at me."

She shook her head manically, opening her mouth and mumbling something incoherent against his glove covered palm. A crease then formed between her brows as her body went unexpectedly limp, her limbs trembling slightly with the apparent effort of her concentration. Caught off guard by this sudden lack of resistance Jareth paused for a moment, studying Sarah carefully before allowing some of the tension to leave his frame. It took him a second to notice the persistant movement of her lips against him. Hoping to gain at least some insight into this unsolicited series of events as well as the girl's state of mind he carefully removed his hand. Sarah didn't seem to notice. She continued muttering, desperately repeating certain quiet phrases over and over again, eyes screwed shut. Jareth listened.

"No. I won't let you. Not again. I won't let you take him from me again." Two tracks of crystal tears seeped out from under her lashes, gliding down her flushed cheeks. "You can't make me. You can't take him away. I won't let you. I won't forget."

_Forget? _This final word caught the Goblin King's attention, causing a frown of uncertainty to mar his arched features as the possibility of an unwelcome thought blossomed in his mind.

"What have you forgotten Sarah?" Jareth breathed, hardly needing to ask; she had already told him.

"You can't make me forget," Sarah whispered fiercely, showing no sign of having heard him. "You can't make me; can't take him away."

_Him. _His suspicions were confirmed but still he had to hear her say it.

"Forget what Sarah? Tell me," Jareth ordered urgently, seizing both of her arms and shaking her forcefully. Still no response. "What have they taken from you?"

This final, barely audible question seemed to at last penetrate the girl's shrouded thoughts. Her features went slack and her eyes drifted open almost of their own accord, meeting his mismatched gaze with a despairingly blank stare.

"My son. They took my son."

Even before the final words had tumbled from her lips Jareth had taken a swift step back, releasing his hold as if suddenly burned. Without his support Sarah crumpled to the floor, a fire poker still clutched in one hand while the other held an irreparably screwed piece of white card.

Not giving her the chance to say anything more, the Goblin King spun on his heel and stalked off into the rest of the apartment, instinct leading him directly to the master bedroom. Barely acknowledging the mess of strewn possessions, Jareth stepped over the threshold and was immediately assaulted by the scent of uninvited magic. It reeked so strongly he had to admire the one who had placed the wards to stop it seeping out into the other rooms. If they hadn't been so careful then he would have known what was going on as soon as he arrived. As it was he hadn't been certain until he saw the cloud of a residual spell lurking behind Sarah's eyes. The strength of the magic impressed him as well but even more impressive by far was the fact that Sarah had been able to resist it. Had she been anyone else she would have never been any the wiser. Perhaps she would have been better off not remembering but now that she did Jareth knew he had a task to perform.

Knowing exactly where to look the Goblin King strode purposefully across the room and snatched up the first of two pillows lying at the head of the bed. Ripping the fabric he emptied the contents onto the mattress, tossing the useless linen aside and rummaging swiftly through the assortment of muted feathers. Nothing. The process was then repeated with the second cushion, immediately revealing what it was that had been hidden so cautiously.

Jareth snatched up the tiny artefact and, fuelled by a righteous anger left the room, returning at once to where Sarah still lay hunched on the floor, back pressed up against the wall. If she heard him approach she failed to react. It wasn't until he crouched down in front of her, placing a gentle hand of her shoulder, that she flinched, head shooting up even as she wrenched away from his touch.

"Sarah," he said, speaking calmly and hoping she would listen. "This is what they used," he explained, uncurling his fingers to expose a strange multifaceted lump of glass. "This is what made you forget."

"Forget?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper and her features were fixed in an expression of deep concentration. "They made me forget...No!" she cried suddenly, looking up at him and tearing her gaze away from shining, malicious object. "It was you. You did this. You took him away. Just like you did with Toby. You took him. You- oh God, I can't even remember his name. You bastard!" she screeched, clutching at her head as she wracked her brain for the allusive memories. "I can't even remember my own son's name. What have you done to me?"

"I am not to blame for this," Jareth insisted, knowing that in her current state she would be unlikely to believe him. "But I will find out who is," he swore, reaching out and tenderly brushing back a lock of her tangled hair. "And when I do -." The muscles of his hand clenched, seizing the lump of glass in a vicelike grip and crushing it, allowing the magic that crowded around the apartment to finally be released.

**

Sarah gasped, feeling as if a curtain had been pulled back from across her mind and the sunlight was suddenly able to filter in. She inhaled deeply and for the first time in days the air felt pure, free from the unexplained taint that had pervaded it.

"Lucas," she breathed, a perfect image presenting itself in front of her eyes, even as the tears began to fall once more. "His name is Lucas." Instinct told her to run to her room where she had last seen him but her heart already knew that she wouldn't find him there. He was gone. Some had taken him and –

"You remember," said a cool, voice. It was a statement, not a question.

Sarah glanced up and saw the Goblin King towering over her, clad in very much the same way as he had been when she saw him last, just over eleven years ago now.

"Yes," she replied, raising her chin and straightening her shoulders in an automatic show of defiance.

"You know I am not the one who took your son."

"Yes," she said again, knowing it to be true. She had not wished Lucas away and she knew of no one else who would have done so either. Katy knew better and his father didn't believe in such nonsense. Besides, the way it had been done just wasn't the Goblin King's style. It lacked flair and why would he break the spell if he had been the one to place it? No, he wasn't responsible, not this time. "Do you know who did?" She didn't expect an answer, much less a truthful one but she received one all the same.

"No, but I will find them." He crouched down beside her again. "I'm going to help you Sarah."

No," was her immediate reply, as she struggled to feet. "I don't want your help." She may have believed him innocent of this particular crime but that was no reason for her to trust him. She had neither forgotten nor forgiven what he had done all those years ago and she certainly wasn't going to start doing so now.

"It matters not if you want my help or not," Jareth informed her imperiously, rising to stand a good head and shoulders above her five foot six. "You will receive it nonetheless."

"What? Why? What right do you have-" Sarah's voice rose and would have continued to do if she were not interrupted.

"I have every right," the Goblin King barked, losing both his patience and his temper, although the second one was hardly Sarah's fault. He was furious but restrained himself from taking it out on her. She was a victim. "Despite the fact that you summoned me it my duty as –"

"No. No, I don't care about your damn duty," Sarah seethed, reaching once more for the iron poker that lay innocently on the floor. "This is my son we are taking about and I want you nowhere near him, understand? Now get out," she cried, brandishing her weapon firmly with both hands.

"Sarah," Jareth growled in a warning tone, ignoring the poker and fixing her with an icy glare.

"Get out," she repeated. "Get out, get out, get out." She was screaming now, a thick wave of emotion rolling off of her as the dreamlike quality of the situation began to dissipate and reality set in.

Jareth took a calculated step back, gritting his teeth in frustration but carefully keeping himself in check. "Very well," he conceded, his voice low. "I will leave. For now."

And he disappeared, just as Sarah let out a murderous cry and swung the poker in his direction.

Suddenly finding herself very much alone Sarah let out a thankful, uneven sigh. Yet even as her breathing started to settle it hitched once more in her throat as the grim truth spitefully settled itself in her mind. For the third time that day she collapsed onto the floor, the poker forgotten as she raised her hands to her face and let out a piercing, shuddering wail.

Her son, Lucas, was gone. Someone had taken him from right beneath her nose and worst of all...she had no idea how to get him back.

**Author's Note (IMPORTANT):**

**Hey All. I know you're probably not going to like what I'm about to say but here it goes...I offer you this chapter as a TEMPORARY parting gift. I've started back at Uni again and I'm in my final year now so I really need to knuckle down and focus on my work. I WILL finish this story but it's going to take a while. Don't worry, I know where it's all going and this isn't a cop out, I'll come back to it when I can. In the mean time, please enjoy. As always your opinions are appreciated.**

**Nightzchild**

**P.S. Yes I know this is a horrible place to stop it but at least you'll be looking forward to the next update when it finally comes, right? Please don't hurt me.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the **_**Labyrinth **_**characters and/or matching accessories...They don't come in my size.**


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